Manufacture of artificial yarn



A. C. WHITE ET AL {\NUFACTU'RE 0F ARTIFICIAL YARN Aug. 31, 1931.

Filed March 2 WRW 2 flifa 122 5.

5 cake or package form as Patented Aug. 31,. 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,091,725 MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL YARN Alexander 0.

R. Leatham, New Bedford Rayon Mass, a corporation Application March 20,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of thread or yarn, such as artificial silk, and more particularly to a method of and apparatus'for processing such threads while in the original spun.

Before performing the Various operations necessary to render artificial silk ready for merchandising it has been the conventional procedure, heretofore, to convert the yarn from the cake or tubular form in which it was spun into skein form. The various operations of de-sulphurizing, bleaching, finishing, sizing, tinting and dyeing, etc., were performed upon the yarn while in skein form, after which the skein was extracted, dried, graded and then merchandised as such or converted to other forms, such as spools, cones, or bobbins, for further servicing in the textile trade.

To those skilled in the art of manufacturing artificial silk or rayon the faults of the above conventional procedure are well appreciated. This procedure requires expensive and complicated equipment and involves many handlings and extra processes which cause degradation and waste and greatly increase the costs of production.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the number of operations and the plant equipment necessary for the treatment of artificial silk or the like and thereby reduce the cost of production while producing a quality product.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for processing thread While in the original cake or package form as spun, that is for performing each or all of the various operations of washing, desulphurizing, bleaching, finishing, sizing, tinting or other fluid treatments it may be desirous to perform.

Attempts, heretofore, to process thread while in the original cake or package form as spun have failed to attain that degree of success necessary for the production of quality yarn. Various undesirable features and results have accompanied these efforts. Thus, long periods of time have been required to perform the various individual treatments and expensive and complicated equipment has been required. These prior efforts also have failed to attain uniformity of treatment due, among other things, to short circuiting of the treating solution around the cake and/or to channeling of the treating solution through the less dense or less compact portions of the cake resulting in unequal solutiontime con- White, South Dartmouth, and John New Bedford, Mass, assignors to Company, New Bedford, of Delaware 1936, Serial No. 69,839 (01. 18-8) tacts for various portions of the yarn in the package or cake.

In accordance with the present invention the original cake or package of artificial yarn is subjected to treatment under such conditions as to compensate for dimensional changes in the package caused by fluid treatment whereby substantially uniform changes in package density or interstitial spaces occur during the various fluid treatments. The pressure of the treating fluid and its flow through the cake may also be controlled so that short circuiting and channeling is prevented. In this manner, substantially equal time, contact of the treating fluid with the various portions of the yarn in the package or cake is attained which results in uniform treatment and the production of quality yarn.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing: in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of one unit of an apparatus suitable for the practice of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in Various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

The invention is illustrated by the following description and by reference to the treatment of the original cake or package of artificial silk as spun by the so-called bucket process for spinning viscose type yarn. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable for treating a cake or package formed otherwise and of different material.

An apparatus embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and comprises a fluid conduit I 0 having a threaded opening H in which a pipe l2 having perforaor washer M of any suitable material, such as rubber.

An annular ring I5 is adapted to rest upon the gasket l4 and is provided with threads [6 upon its inner surface to which the threaded end of a tubular member I! having perforations Fla is secured. The ring I5 is provided near the outer edge of its upper surface with an upstanding annular rib l8 having a plurality of drainage holes [9. A tubular cake or package 20 of artificial silk as spun is supported upon the ring I5 within the rib It, the bottom edge of the cake 2!! contacting the top surface of the ring l5.

Preferably, a sleeve 2| having perforations 2m is fitted against the inner surface of the cake- Zil. The sleeve 2i may be made of any suitable material, such as celluloid, and its ends may overlap as indicated in Fig. 2 to impart flexibility thereto.

Other cakes 20a, 20b, 20c and 20d of artificial silk each having a flexible sleeve 2! fitted against its inner surface, are superimposed upon one another and upon the lowermost cake 20 and a separator plate 23 is interposed between each. The separator plates 23 each cover the top edge of a. cake and each is provided at its outer edge with a rib 33 depending therefrom adjacent the outer surface of the cake of artificial silk. Each separator plate is also provided near the outer edge of its upper surface with an annular rib 24 having a plurality of drainage holes 25. A sleeve 26 having perforations 28a depends from the inner edge of each separator plate 23 toward the next adjacent lower separator plate and, preferably, is arranged to slidably engage the perforated tubular member l1 so as to position the cakes of artificial silk in spaced relationwith respect to the member H.

The top of the edge of the uppermost cake of artificial silk 20d is engaged by a top plate 30 which also serves as a closure for the top of the movement of the serve as stops limiting of the separator plates cake 28d. Preferably, the plate 30 is provided with a cavity 35 adapted to receive weights 32 so that the plate 30 may be caused to exert a predetermined constant pressure upon the super imposed cakes of artificial silk. The perforated pipe l2 and the perforated tubular member I! extend upwardly within the cakes to a point normally spaced from the lower edge of the top plate 30 and serve as stops limiting the downward plate 30. The perforated sleeves 25 carried by each of the separator plates 23 extend downwardly to a point normally spaced from the next adjacent lower separator plate and the downward movement to prevent collapse or crushing of the cakes. The member l1 slidably receives the sleeves 26 and serves to aline the spacer plates 23 and cakes.

It will be understood that several of the units above described may be employed in a given treatment apparatus.

In accordance with one practice of theinvention the treatment fluid is supplied from the conduit H! to the perforated pipe l2 under a substantially uniform pressure of from about 1 to about 5 pounds per square inch and, preferably under a pressure between one and onehalf and two and one-half pounds-per square inch. It has been found that in the treatment of cakes formed by the bucket process, the use of high fluid pressure of from 8 to pounds per square inch tend to cause short-circuiting and channeling of the treating fluid. The treatment fluid passes through the perforations in the pipe 2,091,725 7 I2, the tubular member 11, the sleeves 26 and the sleeves 2! into contact with the cakes and thence passes through the cakes to the outer surface thereof and then. flows downwardly into a vat (not shown) which may be positioned below the conduit It).

It will be noted that the cakes of artificial silk are free to expand or contract in any direction in response to the swelling or shrinking caused by the treatment fluid. Furthermore, inasmuch as the top plate 30 is weighted to exert a predetermined constant pressure upon the cakes, which substantially counteracts the pressure of the treatment fluid, the dimensional changes in the cake caused by the action of the treatment fiuid is compensated for and channeling and short-circuiting of the treatment fluid is prevented.

It will be understood that the apparatus of the invention is adapted to be used in accordance with any well known practice. Thus, the units of the apparatus may be carried by a travelling conveyor and positioned successively over different treatment vats and connected successively to supply conduits for any desired treatment fluid or solution. Furthermore, the. units of the apparatus may be submerged in a treatment solution in a vat and the interior of the unit subjected to reduced pressure so as to cause the treatment fluid to pass from the outer surfaces of the cakes through the cakes to the inner surfaces.

The invention provides a practical and commercially satisfactory method of treating artificial silk in the original cake or package as spun,

resulting in the production of quality yarn. It also greatly reduces the production costs because of the elimination of many handlings and processes and the reduction of equipment costs. The apparatus employed in the practice of the invention is simple and inexpensive and permits of the assembly of units of superimposed cakes upon the integral structure formed by the ring l5 and tubular member I! while other units of superimposed cakes are being treated. Thus, the superimposed cakes assembled upon such integral structure may be placed in treating position surrounding the upright pipe 12 and upon the conduit ID as. soon as the treatment of other cakes has been completed. This is an important advantage in the manufacture of artificial silk wherein the maintenance of a definite time cycle of operations is an absolute essential for the production of quality yarn.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for treating tubular cakes of artificial silk as spun, the combination with a cake of means adapted to make a fluidtight connection with a fluid conduit and having a surface adapted to engage the bottom edge of a cake and support the cake so as to permit free expansion and contraction of the cake in all directions, and a top plate adapted to cover the top edge of a cake supported by said surface and form a closure for the top of the cake and exert a predetermined constant pressure upon said top edge, said top plate being freely slidable in response to contraction and expansion of the cake,

2. In an apparatus for treating tubular cakes of artificial silk as spun, the combination with a cake ofmeans adapted to make a fluidtight connection with a fluid conduit and having a surface adapted to engage the bottom edge of the lowermost cake of a plurality of superimposed cakes and support said cakes so as to permit free expansion and contraction of the cakes in all directions, separator plates interposed between the adjacent bottom and top edges of adjacent cakes and movable in response to axial expansion and contraction of the cakes, and a top plate adapted to cover the top edge of the uppermost cake and form a closure for the top thereof and exert a predetermined constant pressure thereupon while permitting said axial expansion and contraction of the cake, said top plate being freely slidable in response to contraction and expansion of the cake.

3. In an apparatus for treating tubular cakes of artificial silk as spun, the combination with a 15 cake of means adapted to make a fluidtight con- 20 traction of the cakes in all directions, separator 25 top edge of the uppermost cake and form a clo- 30 depending toward the adjacent lower cake sup- 35 of artificial silk as spun, the combination with a cake of means adapted to make a fiuidtight conexpansion of the cake.

5. In an apparatus for treating tubular cakes of artificial silk as spun, the combination with a and a top plate adapted to cover the top edge of the uppermost cake and form a closure for the top thereof and exert a predetermined constant pressure thereupon while permitting said axial expansion and contraction of the cake, said means including a member adapted to permit the passage of fluid between its inner and outer surfaces and extending upward to a location 6. The improvement in the manufacture of artificial silk which comprises subjecting a cake 7. The improvement in the manufacture of artificial silk which comprises subjecting a cake pressure on the cake for compensating for dimensional changes of the cake.

8. The improvement artificial silk which comprises subjecting a cake ALEXANDER C. WHITE. JOHN R. LEATHAM. 

